# Essay -- explain in detail *Please reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? (200-400 words)* Most people seem to believe that tests and assessments are an essential and inseparable part of learning. Assessments are indeed an effective means of learning by helping us check our understanding. However, it should not be mistaken that tests are only measurements rather than the goal of learning. Assessments should definitely take a backseat if they interfere with learning itself by adding unnecessary pressure and creating excessive competition. Unfortunately, I have noticed that many students seem to overly stress over exams while losing sight of their original goal. For so long, students have relied on assessments as their primary source of motivation that they forget tests are to help them learn rather than why they learn. And the measurement becomes the end goal itself. Despite recognizing this issue, it never occured to me that I could do something to change this situation. After all, schools are required to provide grade reports, and all students need a good GPA to apply to university, right? Last year, as the shadow chairman of the College Council in UWC Changshu, I decided to directly address this issue. I brought the topic to a meeting with the Academic Department, and to my surprise, our Head of Academics shared similar concerns, pointing at the significant stress caused by assessments among students, inviting us to all brainstorm solutions for a possible reform. Thereafter, we had further discussions with different stakeholders gathered community feedback. Surprisingly, despite constant complaints and "suffer" from the system, a great number of students are actually against removing assessments altogether, arguing that it will "lead to chaos" and "undermine everything we have already achieved". Nevertheless, after carefully balancing different interests, we finally wrote up and agreed upon a reformed version of the academic and assessment policy. The new version discarded the weight of individual assessments in the final grade and instead shifts the focus to ATLs (approaches to learning) and individual skills. Challenging ideas is nothing new, but still I was constantly amazed when actually transforming this challenge into a policy-wide change. I guess that's also what makes a UWC education so empowering -- the amount of agency and opportunities students have to make an impact and bring positive change through our thoughts, voices and action. # Fast Take -- be creative *If someone offered you a box with every inanimate object you have ever lost, what is the first thing you are looking for? Why? (280 Characters)* I'd look for a hard drive from several years ago. In retrospect, those data are more than 0s and 1s--they were artifacts of my past. The real loss isn't the drive itself, but no remembering what I've lost. Often, the most valuable things we lose are the ones we can't even recall. The upsetting part is not losing the drive, but not remembering what I have lost. I guess the most valuable things we lose are often the ones that we don't even remember. Many people overlook the importance of data security. To borrow a line from *Blade Runner 2049*, "mere data makes a man." Five years have passed, for me, those photos and files are far more than a series of 0s and 1s -- they are artifacts of my past. If there were ever to be a museum of my life (unlikely as that may be), those would be the pieces on display. The most upsetting part is not losing the drive itself, but after all these years, not remembering what is inside and what I have lost. I guess the most valuable things we lose are often the ones that we don't even remember. --- *What's one skill, talent, or hobby that you have always wanted to learn how to do? (280 Characters)* Humans are rational beings driven by information, thus I have long aspired to be better at PKM (Personal Knowledge Management). Next March I will attend the PKM Summit 2025 in Utreht, Netherlands, and I'm excited to meet a lot of inspiring influencers in the KM community. Every day, I found myself bombarded by and drowing in information -- emails, calendar invites, emerging tasks, news, books, podcasts, fleeting ideas, etc., while craving for knowledge. But how much of those information are truly meaningful to me? How much of it will ultimately be distilled into meaningful insights that can inform and guide my decision-making and actions? I see humans are rational machines operating based on the information they receive. And every idea -- big or small -- have the power to change our future by influencing our mindset, habits, character, and actions. The challenge lies in navigating through the sea of information while capturing, organizing, resurfacing, and putting to action those that are truly useful. Currently, as a 3-year Obsidian (a note-taking app focused on linking and "building a second brain") user, I have more than 1 gigabytes of data (notes, thoughts, daily observations, reflections, etc.) and more than 100,000 original words. They are the source of insights that I draw from whenever I am faced with a difficult situation or running out of creativity for assignment. However, the road is still long to become an efficient knowledge manager, as I am constatnly exploring new methodologies and platforms. Next March, hopefully I will attend the PKM Summit 2025 in Utreht, The Netherlands -- not very far from my school UWC Maastricht -- and where I am so excited to meet and talk with a lot of inspiring figures and influencers in the KM (Knowlege Management) community from the Netherlands and worldwide. # Short Answer -- summarize your thoughts *We want to learn more about your background, beliefs, values, and/or the important people in your life. Please tell us about something that has influenced you and articulate how it has shaped you. (200 words)* My experience at UWC Short Course Vietnam really elevated my understanding of both the UWC movement and my own life to a new level. Talking with Sam Jeong, who spearheaded the UWC-inspired Vietnam project, I joined the course hoping to see for myself how the impact of the UWC values extends beyond campuses into local communities. During the "Your Own Odyssey" activity based on the Stanford life design course, I discussed with my facilitator three of my future scenarios -- the traditional, the alternative, and the wild-dream. That deep conversation -- outside in the sun, sitting on the stairs -- opened up a whole new world to me, as I realized I may have more choices than I realize, just as Kurt Khan -- the found of the UWC Movement -- said, "There is more in you than you think." Until then, I had never felt so connected to that quote on the wall of our school. I've always believed in the power of education in empowering young people to make positive impacts. Last summer, seeing the UWC values being brought to Vietnam while again enlightening myself, I truly felt that education holds great hope for our future. --- I'd look for a hard drive from several years ago. In retrospect, those data are more than 0s and 1s--they were artifacts of my past. The real loss isn't the drive itself, but no remembering what I've lost. Often, the most valuable things we lose are the ones we can't even recall. --- Humans are rational beings driven by information, thus I have long aspired to be better at PKM (Personal Knowledge Management). Next March I will attend the PKM Summit 2025 in Utreht, Netherlands, and I'm excited to meet a lot of inspiring influencers in the KM community.